How to Fill Out the CDL-1: Texas Commercial Driver License Application

The CDL-1 is the Texas Commercial Driver License application you fill out to get both your Commercial Learner’s Permit and, later, your CDL. You can download the PDF from the Texas Department of Public Safety website or pick up a paper copy at any driver license office.1Texas Department of Public Safety. CDL-1 Texas Commercial Driver License Application The form itself is short. Most of the work is in the decisions you make before you pick up a pen and the documents you bring with you to the office.

Decide Your License Class and Endorsements First

The CDL-1 asks you to check a box for license class. Texas issues three, and the right one depends on the vehicle you plan to drive:2Texas Department of Public Safety. Classes of Driver Licenses

  • Class A covers any combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, where the towed vehicle is over 10,000 pounds. Tractor-trailers and most long-haul rigs sit here.
  • Class B covers a single vehicle rated 26,001 pounds or more, or any vehicle designed to carry 24 or more passengers. Dump trucks, straight trucks, and large buses. You can tow a trailer under 10,000 pounds.
  • Class C covers vehicles that don’t meet the Class A or B thresholds but carry 16 to 23 passengers, or that haul placarded hazardous materials.

A higher class lets you operate anything below it, so a Class A also covers Class B and C vehicles, but not motorcycles.3State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code TRANSP 522.041

The form also has checkboxes for endorsements. Mark only the ones you need, because each one adds its own knowledge test and, in some cases, a holding period or background check:4Texas Department of Public Safety. Driver License Endorsements and Restrictions

  • H — Hazardous Materials. Required for placarded hazmat loads. Triggers a TSA security threat assessment with fingerprinting on top of the written exam.5Texas Department of Public Safety. Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) for Commercial Driver License (CDL)
  • N — Tank Vehicle. For tanks with individual capacity over 119 gallons and aggregate capacity of 1,000 gallons or more.
  • P — Passenger. Separate knowledge test and a 14-day CLP holding period.
  • S — School Bus. Same separate test and 14-day CLP hold.
  • T — Double or Triple Trailers. Class A only.
  • X — Combination Hazmat and Tank. Pass both the H and N knowledge tests.

If you check H or X, you’ll also submit the separate CDL-6 hazmat application and schedule fingerprinting through IdentoGO at 888-467-2080. TSA aims to clear security threat assessments within 30 days of receiving your prints.5Texas Department of Public Safety. Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) for Commercial Driver License (CDL)

Pick the Right Self-Certification Category

Further down the form, you self-certify which type of commercial driving you do. Federal law recognizes four categories:6Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Determine Which of the 4 Categories of Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Operation I Should Self-Certify To

  • Non-excepted interstate. You cross state lines and don’t fall into one of the narrow excepted categories. Most CDL holders land here. A current federal Medical Examiner’s Certificate is required.
  • Excepted interstate. You cross state lines only for specific activities such as transporting school children, driving a government vehicle, operating a fire truck during emergencies, or seasonal agricultural work. No federal medical certificate required.
  • Non-excepted intrastate. You drive only within Texas and must meet state medical certification requirements.
  • Excepted intrastate. You drive only within Texas in activities the state has determined don’t require medical certification.

If you do both excepted and non-excepted work, mark non-excepted. That keeps you legal for all of your driving. Choosing the wrong category can flag violations during roadside inspections and employment background checks.

If your category requires a medical card, bring the Medical Examiner’s Certificate (Form MCSA-5876) with you to the DPS office. It has to be signed by a provider on FMCSA’s National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners and be current on the day you apply.7Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Medical Examiners Certificate (MEC), Form MCSA-5876 The DOT physical typically runs $60 to $200.

Filling In the Form

The applicant information section asks for your full legal name (last, first, middle, and suffix), any birth surname, your Social Security number, and date of birth. Below that, enter your physical characteristics: height in feet and inches, weight in pounds, and eye color from a fixed list (blue, brown, gray, hazel, green, black, maroon, or pink). These details print directly on your license, so check them twice.1Texas Department of Public Safety. CDL-1 Texas Commercial Driver License Application

Then enter your current Texas residential address, mark your license class, check any endorsements, and complete the self-certification section. The form carries a notice that all information is required under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 521 and that failing to provide it is grounds for DPS to refuse your license.

Sign and date the form last. If you’re filling out the PDF electronically, you’ll still sign in person at the office.

Documents to Bring With the Form

DPS verifies three things when you walk in: identity, Social Security number, and Texas residency. Showing up short on any of them ends the visit.

Identity and Lawful Presence

Bring at least one primary identity document — an unexpired U.S. passport, U.S. military ID, Permanent Resident Card, or certificate of citizenship or naturalization. Without a primary document, you’ll need either two secondary documents (such as an original or certified birth certificate) or one secondary plus two supporting documents.8Texas Department of Public Safety. Acceptable Identification Documents

Social Security Number

DPS cannot issue a CLP or CDL without a Social Security number. The number is checked electronically against federal records, so you don’t necessarily have to bring the card, but the number you give has to match. If the electronic verification fails, your license won’t issue.9Texas Department of Public Safety. How Do I Apply for a Commercial Driver License

Two Proofs of Texas Residency

Bring two separate printed documents showing your name and current Texas residential address. Utility bills, bank statements, mortgage documents, and voter registration cards all qualify. Both have to show the address you listed on the CDL-1 — a statement from your old address won’t count.10Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Residency Requirement for Driver Licenses and ID Cards The two-document requirement comes from 37 Texas Administrative Code § 16.7, which governs domicile proof for CDL applicants specifically.11Cornell Law Institute. 37 Texas Administrative Code 16.7 – Proof of Domicile

Medical Certificate (If Required)

Non-excepted drivers, interstate or intrastate, bring their MCSA-5876 to the appointment. Excepted drivers do not.

Finish Your ELDT Before You Try to Test

Federal law requires Entry-Level Driver Training through a provider on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry before you can take any CDL skills test. ELDT applies if you’re getting a Class A or B CDL for the first time, upgrading a Class B to a Class A, or adding a school bus, passenger, or hazmat endorsement for the first time.12Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)

Your training provider uploads your completion to the Registry by midnight of the second business day after you finish. DPS checks the Registry before letting you test, so verify your record is posted using the “Check Your Training Record” tool before scheduling.13Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Training Provider Registry ELDT is not needed if you already held a CDL or the relevant endorsement before February 7, 2022, or if you got a CLP before that date and converted it to a CDL before it expired.

One More Thing That Can Stop Your Application

Since November 18, 2024, state licensing agencies have been required to query FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before issuing or renewing a CDL or CLP. A “prohibited” status — a failed or refused test with no completed return-to-duty process — causes DPS to deny the application outright.14Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Clearinghouse II and CDL Downgrades If you’ve never had a violation, DPS handles the query on their end and you don’t need to do anything. If you have any doubt, check your status at clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov before the appointment.15Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

Where You Submit the CDL-1

You submit the completed CDL-1 in person at a DPS driver license office. Schedule the appointment at txdpsscheduler.com, because walk-in availability is limited at most offices.16Texas Department of Public Safety. Driver License Services – Appointments Bring the form, your identity and residency documents, and your medical card if your self-certification requires one.

At the office, the clerk verifies your documents, collects thumbprints, takes your photo, and runs a vision exam. Then you sit for the CDL knowledge tests. You need 80% on each section to pass.17Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas CDL Handbook Pass the written tests, pay your fee, and DPS issues your Commercial Learner’s Permit.

The CLP is valid for 180 days (or until your base Texas driver license expires, whichever comes first) and can be renewed once without retaking the knowledge exams. You must hold the CLP for at least 14 days before you’re eligible for the skills test. While holding it, you can practice on public roads only with a qualified CDL holder age 21 or older sitting in the passenger seat.9Texas Department of Public Safety. How Do I Apply for a Commercial Driver License

Veterans: Submit the CDL-3A Alongside the CDL-1

Active-duty service members and recently separated veterans may qualify to skip the CDL skills test under the Military Skills Test Waiver program. You still have to pass every written knowledge test, but the behind-the-wheel exam is waived based on documented military driving experience.18Texas Department of Public Safety. Application for Military Skills Test Waiver

To qualify, you must have been employed within the last 12 months in a military position that required operating a vehicle equivalent to the CDL class you’re applying for, with at least two years of that driving experience immediately before separation. Your driving record over the previous two years also has to be clean: no DUI convictions, no leaving the scene of an accident, no felony involving a vehicle, and no more than one serious traffic violation such as reckless driving or speeding 15 or more mph over the limit. You’ll need a commanding officer’s certification confirming the assignment and experience. Submit the CDL-3A with your CDL-1 at the DPS office. The passenger and school bus endorsements cannot be transferred through the waiver and have to be tested for separately.